Gethsemane Civic Council
The Gethsemane Civic Council was a unit of government established on the Pathfinder Ship Pegasus. It was commissioned originally as a means for coordinating between the ship's command crew and the Gethsemanian refugees rescued from their doomed planet. Over time, it evolved into the governing authority over the Gethsemane community on the ship. Construction The Gethsemane Advisory Council, the predecessor to the Civic Council, was originally nine members: Six from the Gethsemanian refugees and three of the ship's officers. This was expanded to a twelve member quorum consisting of Nine Gethsemanians and Three officers. The Gethsemanians were elected at large from the Gethsemanian Community. The three officers were appointed by the commanding officer; who could also overrule any action by the Council. Matters internal to the Gethsemanian community were settled by a simple majority vote among the nine Gethsemanian Council Members. Matters that affected ''Pegasus ''or the use of its resources required a majority vote of the Gethsemanian members and the unanimous consent of the three member officers' quorum; an arrangement that often frustrated the Gethsemanians. The Gethsemanian Civic Council was also the judicial authority over legal matters within the Gethsemanian refugee community.(Book 11: Charlemagne ) The Eventide Exodus After nearly two years in orbit of the planet Eventide, some Gethsemanians wanted to settle on the planet and establish a colony. Some members of the Advisory Council opposed the new colony, but unsolicited advisement from Prime Commander Keeler smoothed the way for the colonists to leave. 2,112 people, mostly Gethsemians, remained behind to establish a colony on Eventide. (Book 10: Eventide ) The Bodicean Controversy When the decision was made to decommission the Pathfinder Ship Pegasus, the question of what to do with the Gethsemanian refugees who had made the ship their home became a contentious issue. Under the Right of Self-Determination, every refugee had the right to decide his own destiny among the option of settling on one of many human worlds or transferring to another ship. But there was concern that such a diaspora would scatter the survivors of Gethsemane across the galaxy, and lead to the extinction of Gethsemanian Culture. Thus, argued proponents of this point of view, the community must be held together and pursue a common destiny in order to preserve their culture. The planet Bodicea offered the community a large island, over which the community would have sovereignty, where their culture could be preserved. The Bountiful System also made a play to become the new Gethsemanian homeland. The issue was referred to a referendum. The first part of the referendum asked whether the Gethsemian Community would remain together or be allowed to go separate ways. The second part asked which of several worlds they would settle on. The first required a majority vote, but the second a plurality; an arrangement which many felt unjustly favored the Bodicean Option. The resulting vote passed the first issue by a comfortable margin (although some Gethsemanians doubted the legitimacy of the official vote). The vote to establish a colony on Bodicea was also passed. Thousands of Gethsemanians, however, signed a protest petition against the decommissioning of ''Pegasus. ''The question of whether the ship's armed security assets could be used to force unwilling refugees to settle on Gethsemane became an open question. Between 2,000 and 3,000 Gethsemanians eventually left for Bodicea, but the attack on Charlemagne Starlock prevented further transports and made the question of forcing unwilling refugees to settle there a non-issue. (Book 11: Charlemagne ) The remaining Gethsemanians were absorbed into the ship's crew after the Attack on Charlemagne, and the GCC was never reconstituted on ''Pegasus. '' Bodicea The Gethsemane Civic Council remained the governing body for the colony of New Gethsemane. Members *Liana of Coheed *Pieta Alkema *Eryx of Jericho Point *Rand of Cambria *Scoot of Silo Town